Save Me
by sariannaluvsjake2
Summary: 22 year old Jake Jagielski is summed up in one word. Pathetic. Can someone from the past save him? Or will they end up saving eachother? One-shot Jeyton!


Authors Note:

_**Authors Note:**_

_**Again, me and my Jeyton sorrow. This is what I think my favorite one and only Jake Jagielski does everyday now, four years later. Please review. 3**_

He wakes up to the bright sunlight. His eyes gradually flutter open and he looks around. He goes to turn, and he stops. He knows she won't be lying in bed beside him. It's been four years, 1502 days to be exact. He knows it's pathetic that he's been counting. But he doesn't care. Because he knows that this is a new day, a new chapter in his life that he has to go through.

Without her.

She and Lucas are probably happily engaged or married by now. He wonders what would have happened if she had never said that. If she had never whispered those four words that broke his heart. No. He can't think about it. He can't torture himself once more.

He's been trying to move on. Trying to start a new life for him and his daughter. But he just can't. That petite blonde was all he had. And now she's gone. Her beautiful sun-kissed face flashes in his mind. And almost every time, he ends up in tears.

It's been four years, but still, here he is.

A 22 year old Jake Jagielski. Pathetic, tired, and broken.

His friends had set him up on multiple blind dates. None of which turned into a meaningful relationship like him and that blonde had. None of them had given him hope. None of them he worried about. None of them had his heart racing when they kissed him. Only one did.

And that girl was,

Peyton Sawyer.

For nights after she left he would walk onto his porch and just stare at the sky. He often wondered where she was. Was she happy? In love? He didn't know. He didn't know why she had forgotten his love in the first place. He thought it was his entire fault. He wondered if it was something he said. Or maybe something he never did. Then he came to realize.

He was always in the way.

It burned his heart like a thousand suns. He had given her everything he had. No secrets. And as far as he knew, so did she. Until her starling confession woke him up.

Had they ever had something real?

He thought with all his heart they did. But maybe he was wrong.

He got out of bed and walked to his daughter's room. He smiled as he saw her long brown hair surrounding the pillow, sleeping soundly. He tiptoed into the six year olds room and kissed her on the temple of her forehead, as he did every morning and night. Jenny's soft breaths warmed Jake's heart as he tiptoed back out.

Jenny Jagielski may have only been six, but she had been through a lot. Two kidnappings, her father's heartaches, a mother abandonment, and much more. Jenny Jagielski also didn't have many things. One being, a mother.

Jenny Jagielski had had a mother. A long time ago now. And again, Jake's heart stung at the name of Peyton Sawyer, as it did everyday. But Jake knew that he had kept his promise, saying that he would be here. And if it was meant to be, they'd be together.

Someday.

So, how long was someday? A week, month, year? No. It had been four years, and still, no sign of her. And it broke his heart. His friends often kidded with him about how he should learn to sew so he could stitch up his heart. Jake chuckled and went along with it, even though it was eating him inside.

He walked to the kitchen and got a mug for his coffee. He poured it and started to stir. All of their memories flashed back on him, and he couldn't take it anymore. He knew what he had to do. He stopped and walked to his laptop. His fingers grazing the keyboard. Was it right to come into contact with her after four years of silence? But he had no choice.

He scrolled his list of contacts. Then, down at the bottom, there she was. He clicked on her name and the e-mail screen came up. He sat for a while. Just thinking. Was it worth it? What if she was with Lucas and he saw it? His mind was screaming no, but his heart was screaming yes. He involuntarily started typing.

_Peyton...It's Jake._

He started, but then erased it. "_Of course she knows who I am idiot!" _He thought to himself before backspacing it. "_Okay, come on Jagielski. This is the girl you love for god sakes. Wright something good!" _He thought. He placed his fingers down on the keyboard again and started to type.

_Peyton,_

_It's been four years. In these four years, I've accomplished things; I've done some pretty great things. But the worst of them all, was letting go of you. And I know, I have no right to talk to you after years of silence, I get that. But please, please just tell me your still out there and waiting._

"_Goddammit!" _He sighed, backspacing the message again. Way too serious. His thoughts were interrupted by little footsteps running down the hallway. "Daddy! Daddy!" Jenny cried, jumping onto her fathers lap. "Hey Jenny-Penny. How'd you sleep?" Jake asked his daughter, before giving her an Eskimo kiss. Jenny giggled. "I slept good! I had a dream about the zoo!" Jake scoffed. "The zoo?" He asked playfully, and Jenny nodded. "Oh, well. Maybe it's because were going to the zoo today!" Jenny gasped in excitement and hugged her father.

"What do you want for breakfast Jen?" Jake asked, and Jenny smiled up at him. "Hmmm...I want...French fries!" Jake chuckled. "French fries for breakfast? No..." Jake said and Jenny smiled at him. "Okay, toast!" Jake looked at her. "Please." She added, and Jake nodded. "Okay baby girl." He said kissing her cheek before getting up and making breakfast.

After breakfast, Jake promised to take Jenny to the zoo. Jenny was really fascinated with animals, and Jake loved seeing his little girl happy. Jenny walked up to a large cage of monkeys and pointed at them. "Look daddy! Monkeys!" Jake smiled as he placed Jenny on his broad shoulders. Jenny giggled as the monkeys played with her.

Jake was just about to lift her off when something caught his eye. He turned his head sharply, and was sure that he saw...

Peyton Sawyer.

He was in disbelief. He blinked once or twice, but she was still there. Nope, he defiantly was not seeing things. "Come on Jenny, time to get down." Jake said lifting his daughter off his shoulders. He placed Jenny on the ground and smiled at her before looking over to where she was.

She was gone.

Jake shook his head once or twice. Nope, she was gone. _"Dammit Jagielski stop thinking about her!" _He told himself over and over, even though he knew it never worked. Then he realized that Jenny was tugging on his jacket. "Daddy...daddy..." She was repeating and he finally looked down. "Yes Jen?" He asked, looking back at the place she had been standing.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Jenny asked, and Jake nodded slowly. "Yeah...yeah I'm okay." Jenny nodded and they continued to look around. But all Jake could think about was her.

After they finished the zoo, Jake dropped off Jenny at her grandparents. It was their Saturday ritual. Mornings with dad, evenings with grandma and grandpa.

Jake arrived home and flicked on the TV. He sighed as he flicked through the channels. Nothing. He turned it off and just stared at the blank screen, once again, thinking about her. He needed to stop this. But the incident at the zoo had his mind racing, his heart pumping his...

A knock at the door.

He jolted out of his thoughts at the light knock. He wasn't expecting anybody. He walked over to his door and sighed as he swung it open, figuring it was a salesperson. But when he did, he was staring face to face with,

Peyton Sawyer.

She looked just as beautiful as the last time he saw her. Her light blonde hair tumbling slightly down her shoulders, her dark hazel eyes. He looked at her once again in disbelief and she smiled at him. "Jake..." She whispered, and he smiled lightly. "Peyton..." He whispered softly, and she looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. She lunged to him.

"I missed you." She sobbed to his chest, and he held on to her for dear life, afraid she would collapse. Jake escorted her into his home as they sat on the couch, were they had sat so many years before. The memories still a wound in their minds.

Peyton looked at him as she spoke.

"What if I go back and my heart just aches for you like it has for months now?" She asked, and Jake looked away. Knowing it had been what she had said years earlier. And knowing it broke his heart even more. "That was what I said to you. And believe me Jake it hurt. It did. I cannot tell you how many nights I spend crying because of this. I felt so horrible for you, for me, and for Jenny..." She started, tears still spilling from her eyes.

"Peyton..." Jake whispered, wiping the tears away from her eyes with his thumb. He didn't know just how much she needed to feel him. Just that simple touch drove her crazy. "Peyton. It wasn't your fault. We were young." Peyton looked at him sadly. "And in love. And I ruined it." She ended, and Jake looked away.

"No, no you didn't ruin it. I'm still here, Jenny's still here." Jake looked up at her and whispered, "Our love is still there." And Peyton couldn't take it anymore. She lunged to him again, kissing his softly at first, until Jake deepened the kiss, sending sparks down both their spines.

The way it was supposed to be.

And now, the way it would always be.

_**Authors Note: **_

_**Again, random one-shot. Please R&R! **_


End file.
